I had this same revelation this week at the funeral. We're all aging, and one day, it's going to be me and my sisters burying my parents. It's not coming any day soon, but regardless, it's coming. We all go through this cycle of getting older and having to deal with the grown up things that we wanted so bad when we were kids, only because we didn't realize what shouldering them really meant.
I wish for the exact same things you mention at the end of this post: to stay right in that cocoon, where it was safe and sound. I don't feel like that's my post college years though, just because nothing is safe and comfortable right now. If only we could go back and freeze time.
September 19, 2008 3:54 pm
Megan
You've really hit on something I think a lot of twenty-somethings come to realize sooner or later. I faced two serious family illnesses early in my twenties, one of which was my own father. Losing him at an age where I too felt cocooned between childhood and adulthood made it feel like the last vestiges of childhood were ripped from me before I was ready.
But it also gave me a sense of appreciation for how short life is and how much each moment matters, particularly those moments spent with the people you love. So many children take their sense of the world for granted, but as adults we begin to learn that's no longer possible. We can, however, replace that sense of childhood comfort with gratitude and appreciation of being in the here and now.
Roomie - I think it's one of the hardest situations I've ever had to face -- it certainly seems similar to those emotions from being a teenager, but as an adult there's a whole new level. An uncertain future is absolutely a scary thought, which possibly is why I'm so determined to focus on the present.
Megan - I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your dad and that you had to deal with this situation prematurely. Although I'm not sure prematurely is the right word, as I don't think we're ever ready for such difficult situations. It's comforting, though, to see how much you've learned, and I'm looking forward to the day where I can look back in hindsight and recognize the experience and "growing pains" for what it could teach me.
Thanks for your words; they really were a comfort.
4 RESPONSES TO "THE CHILD IS FATHER OF THE MAN"
I had this same revelation this week at the funeral. We're all aging, and one day, it's going to be me and my sisters burying my parents. It's not coming any day soon, but regardless, it's coming. We all go through this cycle of getting older and having to deal with the grown up things that we wanted so bad when we were kids, only because we didn't realize what shouldering them really meant.
I wish for the exact same things you mention at the end of this post: to stay right in that cocoon, where it was safe and sound. I don't feel like that's my post college years though, just because nothing is safe and comfortable right now. If only we could go back and freeze time.
You've really hit on something I think a lot of twenty-somethings come to realize sooner or later. I faced two serious family illnesses early in my twenties, one of which was my own father. Losing him at an age where I too felt cocooned between childhood and adulthood made it feel like the last vestiges of childhood were ripped from me before I was ready.
But it also gave me a sense of appreciation for how short life is and how much each moment matters, particularly those moments spent with the people you love. So many children take their sense of the world for granted, but as adults we begin to learn that's no longer possible. We can, however, replace that sense of childhood comfort with gratitude and appreciation of being in the here and now.
Roomie - I think it's one of the hardest situations I've ever had to face -- it certainly seems similar to those emotions from being a teenager, but as an adult there's a whole new level. An uncertain future is absolutely a scary thought, which possibly is why I'm so determined to focus on the present.
Megan - I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your dad and that you had to deal with this situation prematurely. Although I'm not sure prematurely is the right word, as I don't think we're ever ready for such difficult situations. It's comforting, though, to see how much you've learned, and I'm looking forward to the day where I can look back in hindsight and recognize the experience and "growing pains" for what it could teach me.
Thanks for your words; they really were a comfort.
i did it
GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?